Brooklyn pastor removed after secretly loaning $2 million of parish funds to lawyer

CNA Staff, Nov 19, 2024 / 14:35 pm

A pastor in Brooklyn, New York, has been removed from his city parish after a review found alleged “severe” financial violations, including a secret transfer of parish funds totaling almost $2 million. 

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan said in a statement this week that he had relieved Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello of “any pastoral oversight or governance role” at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish after an outside review found “evidence of severe violations of diocesan policies and protocols.” 

Brennan previously disciplined Gigantiello last year after the priest allowed pop star Sabrina Carpenter to shoot a lewd music video in the church. Brennan at that time relieved the pastor of administrative oversight of the parish. 

Gigantiello’s removal from the pastorship this week came after investigations revealed he reportedly “mishandled substantial church funds and interfered with the administration of the parish after being directed not to do so,” Brennan said in his statement. 

From 2019 to 2021 the priest allegedly transferred $1.9 million of parish funds to bank accounts linked to the attorney Frank Carone, a longtime figure in Brooklyn Democratic politics. Carone served as chief of staff for New York Mayor Eric Adams in 2022. 

It is unclear what Carone or his affiliates may have used the money for. The diocese in its statement indicated that the loans were repaid, one of them at about 9% interest. 

The diocese said there were “other instances” in which Gigantiello misused parish funds, including using a church credit card for “substantial personal expenses.” 

In addition to removing Gigantiello, Brennan said he had also placed Deacon Dean Dobbins, the parish’s temporary administrator, on administrative leave. 

The diocese said that earlier in the month it had received evidence from Gigantiello’s attorneys of “racist and other offensive comments” made by Dobbins “during private conversations in the parish office.”

The remarks were secretly recorded “at the direction of [Gigantiello],” the diocese said.

“It was wrong to secretly record Deacon Dobbins, but the use of such language by any church employee is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Brennan said in his statement. 

The diocese said that it is “fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations.” 

In addition to his removal from the leadership of the Brooklyn parish, Gigantiello last year was also removed from his role as the diocesan vicar for development, a position he had held for about 15 years. 

Earlier this year Carpenter had joked about her putative role in helping launch federal investigations into New York City leadership, specifically Adams, who was charged with financial crimes in September.

In a concert at Madison Square Garden days after the mayor was charged, the singer suggested that last year’s controversy over the music video shot at the Brooklyn church may have led to Adams being targeted by federal agents. 

“Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted?” she asked her audience at the concert.